


Deals with Pirates

by redquilt



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode: s04e18 Crisis on Naboo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24172942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redquilt/pseuds/redquilt
Summary: The plot to kidnap the Chancellor at the Festival of Light on Naboo is almost ready -- but Cad Bane, Moralo Eval, and Rako Hardeen first need to pick up some supplies from Florrum.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Hondo Ohnaka
Comments: 15
Kudos: 74





	Deals with Pirates

“We’ll get the gear we need here,” Cad Bane says, dropping the ship out of hyperspace.

“Do you really think a bunch of Weequay pirates will have what we need?” Moralo Eval asks, his face scrunched up in distaste.

“I worked out a deal with their leader,” Bane says. “These pirates are dependable, in their own way, as long as you can pay them well enough.”

Behind Eval and Bane, Obi-Wan--no, Rako Hardeen--frowns. Florrum looms in front of the viewport, its muddy green and brown landscape all-too familiar. It’s one of the last steps in Bane’s plan--to get special Senate guard weapons as well as some sort of maps of Naboo for the Festival of Light. The Festival, as well as the kidnapping attempt, are only a week away, and despite Bane’s supposed trust in the pirates on Florrum, Obi-Wan can sense his nervousness in the Force.

“I hate working with pirates,” Eval mutters. “Always so unpredictable and greedy and drunk--”

“I already have a deal worked out with them,” Bane says, shortly. “We should only be on Florrum for a few minutes.”

Obi-Wan feels strangely conflicted about coming here. Logically, it doesn’t seem too surprising that Hondo would know Bane, and would work with him, but some part of Obi-Wan is still disappointed. _Why disappointed?_ Obi-Wan thinks wryly to himself. _He did torture you, and torment those farmers, and apparently has a history with bounty hunters._

Obi-Wan is pulled out of his thoughts when the ship, some old piece of junk meant to avoid attracting attention, lurches sickeningly as Bane lowers the landing gears. When the three men stand up to leave the ship, Bane pushes past Obi-Wan, while Eval studies him. “You feeling okay, Hardeen?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Obi-Wan answers, hoping his face looks blank.

Eval studies his face a moment longer before going to follow Bane. Obi-Wan clenches his jaw. _Only a little longer, then I can forget this “Rako Hardeen” charade._

By the time Obi-Wan joins Eval and Bane at the bottom of the entry ramp, a crowd of Weequay pirates is already gathered. “Let me do all the talking,” Bane mutters, and steps forward as the crowd parts.

“My friends, my friends!” Hondo exclaims, gesturing wildly, his monkey-lizard climbing up onto his shoulder with a squawk. “I am so glad you’ve made the long journey to come visit us!” Hondo puts a hand on Bane’s shoulder, and the monkey-lizard jumps to the ground and away into the crowd of pirates.

“Save the pleasantries, Ohnaka,” Bane drawls, shrugging his shoulder out from under Hondo’s grip. “We’re here to buy our gear, and then we’re leaving.”

“All business, I see,” Hondo says, straightening up. “Very well. I, of course, have what you requested.”

He gestures loosely to the side, and two crates are pushed forward. Bane goes to open one of the crates, but Hondo bats his hand away. “But first, I must ask--this is a strange mix of things. What are you planning?”

“Why do you care?” Bane snaps, resting a hand on his blaster. Several of the pirates in the circle around them raise their own weapons in warning.

Hondo looks at Bane’s weapon but just smiles. Obi-Wan doesn’t need to feel through the Force to know how Hondo’s nonchalance bothers Bane. “Perhaps I am just curious,” Hondo suggests, shrugging.

“You aren’t being paid to be curious.”

“You at least must tell me who your friends are,” Hondo says, peering behind Bane to where Eval and Obi-Wan stand. “This doesn’t seem like your regular crew.”

Hondo walks past Bane as Bane speaks tersely. “That’s Moralo Eval and that’s Rako Hardeen. Eval is a mastermind, and Hardeen is the man who killed Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

At Obi-Wan’s name, Hondo turns to study Rako’s face with a sudden intensity. “Well, well,” Hondo chuckles darkly, his voice low and sweet, “you are the one who killed Kenobi?” Obi-Wan’s heart races as he nods once.

Hondo turns from Obi-Wan suddenly, and clasps his hands behind his back. “Then, in that case, my price just went up threefold.”

There’s a moment of shocked silence before Bane and Eval begin to object at the same time.

“We had a deal, Ohnaka, you slimy, no-good, son of a--”

“No one crosses Moralo Eval! You will pay--”

Hondo raises a single hand, and surprisingly, both Eval and Bane stop speaking. “Obi-Wan Kenobi was a good man, and you--” he points to Obi-Wan, “--should not have killed him.”

“He was a Jedi,” Bane sneers.

“Yes, he was. But he was also an _honorable_ man.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t need to act to match the incredulous confusion on Bane and Eval’s faces.

“We agreed on a price already,” Bane says, trying to get a hold of the situation again.

“Yes, we did,” Hondo says lightly, studying his fingernails nonchalantly. “Unfortunately, that price just increased.”

“I don’t think you’ve thought this through,” Bane warns.

“Let me tell you what I think,” Hondo says. His voice is pleasant, but his eyes are hard. “I think that you could try to get these weapons somewhere else, but it took me and my men almost a month to find everything you needed, so unless you have another month to wait, you must do business with me.”

Bane opens his mouth to interject, but Hondo waves a hand and keeps speaking. “I also think that whatever job you’re doing has something to do with the Republic, which is why you wanted those Senate guard weapons. That means it’s a dangerous job, and that means that whoever is paying you probably has enough money to pay more.”

“I knew we couldn’t trust Weequay pirates,” Eval growls. “He was probably always planning on making us pay more.”

Hondo laughs at this. “No, no,” he puts an arm around Bane’s shoulders, as if Bane isn’t a half second away from shooting him. “As your leader Bane knows, I always honor my agreements. But in this case, I can’t ignore the murder of Kenobi.”

Bane once again shrugs out from Hondo’s grasp. “We’ll pay your price,” he mutters.

Eval lets out a choked sound as Hondo claps his hands in delight. “Good!” Hondo says. “I’m so glad we’re friends again.”

“When this job is over, Ohnaka,” Bane says, after the crates have been loaded and the plans for the transfer of spice and credits has been arranged, “I’m gonna come back to Florrum and kill you.”

Without looking back, Bane walks up the entry ramp into the ship, Eval a step behind. Obi-Wan pauses for a moment, tempted to thank Hondo, but remembers who he appears to be, and rushes up the ramp without saying anything, Hondo’s laugh echoing behind him.

The trip back to Serenno is fairly quiet, only punctuated by the occasional oath by Bane or Eval that Hondo will die for his treachery. But Obi-Wan spends the trip lost in thought and glad to know that even among the pirates of the galaxy, he has someone he might call a friend.

Later, Obi-Wan can’t help but smile at the thought that comes to him--that Hondo’s “punishment” for Bane and Hardeen really only made himself far richer.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever time publishing and sharing fanfiction haha. Thank you all for reading & commenting & kudos-ing!


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